Archive for the ‘Honoring God’ Category

I realize that I am supposed to be continuing my series on cooking from the 1930′s, but one of our readers, Lacey, pointed something out to me that I just couldn’t pass up sharing with you.

Lacey is from a little town in Texas which all of a sudden got thrust into the national spotlight and, for once, for a good story of hope and love. I am just going to post here the story as posted by BeliefNet.com It is an amazing story and a lesson to all of us about loving our enemies. And by the way, everything started because of Lacey’s friend’s giving heart and wonderful idea.

Texas Town Turns Other Cheek, Helps Atheist Who Threatened Their Nativity Scene

Posted by Rob Kerby, Senior Editor

Turning the other cheek seems to be working in little Athens, Texas.
It seems a big-city atheist heard that they had a nativity scene on the courthouse lawn last winter, according to MSNBC News. So, he called Athens officials five hours away to threaten that if they did it again, he would sue. The result was outrage.

Nationwide, America has gotten used to such outsiders forcing anything Christian out of public view – so much that it is almost assumed by some that it’s just a matter of time until every symbol of faith is obliterated from the American landscape.
Nevertheless, when such an intruder shows up and proclaims the star has to come down off of the water tower or that the crosses in the cemetery offend him or that your children have to quit reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the sense of helplessness is overpowering. In the courts, the demand of one seems to supersede the wishes of the vast majority – never mind that there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing a right not to be offended by somebody else’s faith.

So, it was that taxi driver Patrick Greene alerted the Athens officials 297 miles from his San Antonio, Texas, home that he was offended by the town’s nativity scene – and would launch a costly lawsuit if they ever put it on display again. The locals were livid that he would stick his nose into their town’s traditions and faith.

Then, the story takes an ironic turn. He called a news conference and told reporters he had learned he is going blind. He was going to have quit his job — and he did not have health insurance.
The 63-year-old learned he had a detached retina, writes reporter Rich Flowers of the Athens Daily Review newspaper. “Greene was forced to give up driving his Yellow Cab. Eye surgery would cost $20,000 he said, and he didn’t even have the money to pay bills or buy groceries.”
Enter Jessica Crye, a member of Sand Springs Baptist Church in Athens. She “ felt compelled to help. Why not turn this into something else?” she told the Tyler Morning Telegraph newspaper. “This is a great opportunity to turn the other cheek and show God’s love.”
Erick Graham, her pastor, said they didn’t have time to think or pray about the decision.
“We don’t discriminate on who we help, whether they are Christians or non-Christians, church members or not,” Graham told the Morning Telegraph. “We just help those with a need.”
Graham contacted Greene to find out more.

Green and his Cat

“I said first of all, I don’t want $20,000,” recalls Greene. “That would be ridiculous, because there’s a chance the surgery would fail. On top of that, there’s a chance it could become detached again.”
Instead, Greene told Graham he had a more immediate need. “I said, if you really want to contribute something to help, we need groceries” – at least until he is able to start collecting Social Security.
Greene hung up and told his wife about the phone call.
“They’re going to help us?” Karen asked.
Greene scoffed aloud. He’d heard empty promises before from Christians. But then he got a check for $400 in the mail. “I said I can’t believe it,” Greene said. “I thought I was in the Twilight Zone.”

The money went to help pay the rent, and provide necessities from the grocery store.
The contributions didn’t stop at $400 either, Cry said. More money is coming in.
Greene says he was “flabbergasted.” His past experience with Christians was of narrow-minded individuals who had treated him unkindly throughout his life. “My wife and I had never had a Christian do anything nice for us,” Greene said. “Just the opposite.”
Since then, he has learned that he also has glaucoma. Blindness seems a certainty. But, he is grateful. His cat, Big Boy,“ now has enough food until our social security checks arrive,” Greene recently wrote by e-mail. “We also have enough food until then. We did not spend any of it on beer or liquor. We did not spend any of it on sports, because all three of us hate sports. Me, my wife and our cat. Our cat is very much into bird watching.”

A rental property manager has suggested he move to Henderson County, where rates are cheaper and Greene and his wife could live within walking distance of the grocery store, a good thing because now they don’t have a car.
Greene is so amazed by the generosity of the believers in Athens that rather than suing to remove their manger scene, he says he’d like to add his contribution.
“I have decided to show my appreciation to the Christian community for all their help, and I am going to buy a star for the top of the Nativity scene. You people can figure out how to plug it in.”
And he’s thinking about writing a book.
“I’m going to call it the real ‘Christians of Henderson County, Texas,’” Greene said. “These people are acting like what the Bible says a Christian does.”

Remember!! Comment at the end (below the blog box where it says in little blue letters, “comments” click on that and it takes you to comments and a comment box) in order to enter our giveaway. Drawing is Feb 13th. This time TWO people win one of the two identical packages – Pie tin set and First Out Pie Spatula. So comment early and comment often because every single time you comment, your name goes into the pot!!

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Have you ever had one of those days where washing the dishes is such a chore you just want to walk away and pretend they don’t exist?! Today started out as one of those days for me. I was tired when I got up today. Have no clue why – just tired. However, this morning, as I walked into the bedroom and contemplated the as yet unmade bed, a thought swept over me and I had to smile. “Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4

So often we think of “trials” as some horrible illness or the death of a loved one or a car accident or bankruptcy, but the fact is, it says, “trials of many kinds” and being tired and energyless is one of those trials. The new mother with no sleep, feeling guilty because she doesn’t feel an overwhelming love for her newborn, as it screams for attention, is a trial. The man who knows he is supposed to get to work, be perky and love what he is doing, but doesn’t love what he is doing and could care less, is a trial. The housewife with a bed that needs to be made but looks more inviting as a place to lay down experiences a trial. And in all these trials, we are supposed to feel joy??

I picked up a stray pillow and said a “thank you” to God for having that pillow on which to lay my head. It made me laugh a little to think of such a silly prayer. But then I thanked God for having a bed to make up and that went to a thank you for cotton sheets, a heavy blanket and lovely comforter to place on that bed. Pretty soon, I wasn’t feeling tired anymore, the bed got made and I ran in here to write this post. I’m thinkin’ somebody coined the phase, “attitude of gratitude”? It’s kind of amazing how your body responds to the mood of your soul. And so, I am trying to practice that “joy” that James was talking about because I really am so blessed that it’s a waste of time to feel otherwise.

And of course, one of those ways that I experience joy is to create Mr. Fix-It a dinner which results in his sitting back, crumpling his napkin and giving a satisfied, “That was good!” I’ve made many meals that lack that response, but then the joy comes in the jokes that follow those disasters. And trust me, there ARE jokes. Mr. Fix-It says that he doesn’t compain about my cooking, though, because he has had his own mishaps. When the children were home and I was gone somewhere, he cooked a package of what he called, “mystery meat” that he found in the freezer, unmarked. He floured it and fried it and as the children tried desperately to cut what they viewed was a piece of leather, they grumbled and asked what it was they were not-so-joyfully struggling to chew. Somehow, Mr. Fix-It had discovered a several year old package of venison that had managed to escape being tossed. He felt lucky not to have poisoned himself and our progeny and gratefully accepts whatever I put in front of him! Now there’s a man of joy!

Well, I thought I’d end up these three posts on recipes from other countries with a hearty meal that is easy and really, really filling and got a Mr. Fix-It, “Are there any leftovers?!” thumbs up. I showed you how to make your own Sauerkraut, here, and it sure goes well with this schnitzel. There’s just nothing like homemade sauerkraut!! Today, I’m showing you how to make a simple schnitzel with a wonderful, creamy gravy. It can be served with a savory, brown gravy, but I figured I would go the different route – of course!! Also, Jäger Schnitzel usually has mushrooms added, however, I decided to just serve the sauce plain. Next time, I’ll add the mushrooms!

Trim fat from chops. Using a meat hammer, pound the pork chops to about 1/4″ thickness. Make sure edges are hammered nice and flat.

Mix egg and milk in a shallow dish and beat. In a separate shallow dish, mix bread crumbs and paprika and stir to blend.

In a third shallow dish (I use pie and cake pans), add garlic to flour

Add salt

And thyme..mix to blend

Meanwhile, in a sauce pan or skillet, mix chicken stock and cornstarch and bring to a slow simmer. Add sour cream and onion powder and whisk until creamy. Add mushrooms and stir (if using) Continue simmering.

Add dill

Stir until mixture is thickened to a gravy. Cover and leave on warm

Working with one piece of meat at a time, dredge cutlets in the flour mixture to coat both sides.

Dip into the egg mixture on both sides

And coat with the bread crumbs to cover

In a skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil or canola oil and heat on medium high heat. When oil is nice and hot, add cutlets. Brown and allow to cook about 3-4 minutes.

Turn cutlets and brown on the other side and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Place Schnitzel onto plates and drizzle gravy down the center. Add a lemon wedge for squeezing juice over the schnitzel. Serve with German potato salad and warm kraut. Of course, a homemade roll on the side isn’t anything to sneeze at!!

Today I saw one of those miracles that reminds me how perfectly the creation works itself out. God truly made something so spectacular that it is just awe inspiring. It is Fall and all of those things that have to happen at this time of year, happen all by themselves!

Today, I watched as a spider – and I’m talkin’ BIG spider – made a web all the way from one tree to another by swinging on a gossimer strand like an acrobatic Errol Flynn on a chandelier. Every Fall, including in the book Charlotte’s Web, these big spiders weave their artwork and lay their eggs.

It just let itself be carried by the wind

What Gravity??

I know it looks suspended in space. Pretty cool even if it IS a spider.

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